In second year, event nearly doubles in size

While many of the represented breweries hailed from St. Louis, some were from Illinois, like Peel Brewing Company, showcasing their Blood Orange Wheat and Moonlight IPA.

Heavy rain was expected all day Saturday, but it never showed up, leaving perfect weather for the second annual Rock the Hops event downtown. Ticket sales nearly doubled from last year, with online sales selling out fast and leftover tickets at the visitor center getting scooped-up in a matter of minutes.

ALTON — For the Riverbend beer lover, Alton was hopping — and rocking — Saturday for Rock the Hops downtown.

Originally conceived by Alton natives Hope Mader and her husband Drew, the event sprawled across downtown Alton, with beer fans checking-in at the Alton Visitors Center to claim a wristband, commemorative glass and event map. Brewers setup small tasting stations at various locations to allow crowds a chance to try some new local beer.

This year, ticket sales nearly doubled, with online sales selling out fast and leftover tickets at the visitor center getting scooped-up in a matter of minutes.

Mader and her husband, musicians in the local group Hope and Therapy, were excited about the second year already off to a great start.

“We just wanted to do something that was a platform for our fellow musicians and artists as well as highlight our local beer and culinary scene and contribute to the vitalization of our community,” she said.

The couple committed themselves to helping revitalize their hometown and developing a culture that supports the creative arts.

“It’s a great opportunity to shop local artists,” she said “It’s really important to put the money right back into our local economy and keep business going.”

It’s a challenging event to get organized, considering she spends half the year getting everything ready. But anything to jump start Alton is worth it.

“A big passion of mine is connecting with people and talking about ideas for Alton. We want to get this city really moving and rocking,” she said.

While many of the represented breweries hailed from St. Louis, some were from Illinois, like Peel Brewing Company, showcasing their Blood Orange Wheat and Moonlight IPA. Patrons could freely make their way around downtown, walking to each venue or taking a free shuttle.

Tony Lucido and his wife Jennifer live in St. Louis, but grew up in Alton. Tony is an amateur homebrewer and can usually be found at most of the beer festivals in the area.

“We’re really excited to try the Pecan Brown Ale main street brewing and the Excel oktoberfest,” he said.

Nearby at Elijah P’s, Devon Cahill and her band, St. Louis-based folk group Letter To Memphis, were preparing for their set and enjoying the weather.

“It’s nice being out here, it feels like you’re going on vacation,” she said. “The coolest thing is that people come for the beer but then end up finding a really cool band – there’s so much diverse music here.”

And while music was a focus of the event, local artists and craft makers also shared the day.

Micha Wall, owner of Unnatural Resources, makes furniture and wood-handled razors. Events like these, he says, really help out the maker community.

“I think the ‘local everything’ is coming back,” he said. “Alton has an influx of restaurants so beer and artists go hand in hand with that. Beer makers and artists usually look the same, so it’s fun to try to figure out who is who,” he joked.

But for Mader, both groups of people are the same, as the rise of craft beer in Alton made a festival even more important.

“Craft beer is finally catching on over here. We started this in timing with Elijah P’s and Old Bakery Brewing. It felt right last year and it’s just the perfect time for something like this.”

While many of the represented breweries hailed from St. Louis, some were from Illinois, like Peel Brewing Company, showcasing their Blood Orange Wheat and Moonlight IPA.

http://thetelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_IMG_9769.jpgWhile many of the represented breweries hailed from St. Louis, some were from Illinois, like Peel Brewing Company, showcasing their Blood Orange Wheat and Moonlight IPA.

Heavy rain was expected all day Saturday, but it never showed up, leaving perfect weather for the second annual Rock the Hops event downtown. Ticket sales nearly doubled from last year, with online sales selling out fast and leftover tickets at the visitor center getting scooped-up in a matter of minutes.

http://thetelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_IMG_9768.jpgHeavy rain was expected all day Saturday, but it never showed up, leaving perfect weather for the second annual Rock the Hops event downtown. Ticket sales nearly doubled from last year, with online sales selling out fast and leftover tickets at the visitor center getting scooped-up in a matter of minutes.